New Zealand is renowned for producing world-leading sauvignon blanc wines, and nowhere is more reputed in Aotearoa for this than Marlborough, which has a unique climate of hot, sunny days, cool nights and mountain shelter, perfect for producing the big-flavoured savs with high acidity that have attracted global attention.

Located in Marlborough is a very special M?ori-owned family business, Kono ­– an indigenous food and beverage enterprise whose Tohu wine brand has gained industry awards and accolades around the globe, in particular for their kick-ass sauvignon blancs. We reckon if you’re going to pop a bottle of something for International Sauvignon Blanc Day on Friday 4th May, these wines are the perfect experience of great New Zealand sav…

Tohu Single Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Served at Barack Obama’s recent invitation-only dinner in Auckland and included in 2018 Fine Wines of New Zealand, this sauvignon is from a single vineyard in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley. This cold, high-altitude location produces a crisp and dry wine with an abundance of vibrant flavours and aromas.

• Aromas: Fresh citrus, currant leaf, herbal notes
• Taste: Green apple, pink grapefruit, sweet lime, capsicum, zesty minerality
• Food Match: Fresh kaimoana such as Greenshell mussels with a light Thai dressing of lemongrass and coriander, or raw oysters with a squeeze of lemon

Tohu Mugwi Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

This complex sav won gold at the International Wine Challenge 2018 and 2016. Named after Mugwi Macdonald, a kaum?tua (elder) remembered fondly for his great mana, we love this wine’s rounded, ripe tropical fruit flavours and biscuity edge, which come from fermentation techniques more common for something like a chardonnay (such as resting the wine in old oak barrels) – unusual steps for a sauvignon blanc. This is a great sav for non-sav drinkers, for those who love sav and chardonnay, or for sav fans looking for a unique and powerful flavour experience.

• Aromas: Ripe white peach, delicate spices, biscuit
• Taste: Citrus, tropical fruit, nettle, stone minerality
• Food Match: Chicken baked with chickpeas, stonefruit, basil and lemon